Effects of clothing ease and body postures on the air gap and clothing coverage

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-594
Author(s):  
Shitan Wang ◽  
Xiuhua Wang ◽  
Yunyi Wang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of clothing ease and body postures on the size and distribution of the air gap as well as the body coverage with the clothing. Design/methodology/approach Visual and quantitative analyses were conducted using a 3D body scanner and Geomagic Software. The air gap size and clothing area factor (fcl) in three test coverall and seven selected postures were calculated and compared. Findings The results indicated that both the clothing ease and body postures had a strong effect on the air gap and clothing coverage, especially the more complex the postures, the wider the range of influence. Nevertheless, these effects varied over body regions, being stronger at the lower body than the upper body. The air gap size at the left side of the body was generally larger than the right side. It was also found that the clothing coverage was linearly correlated with the air gap size and could be employed as an indicator to evaluate clothing protective capabilities. Practical implications The findings suggested that greater attention should be paid to the protection and flexibility at the lower body and asymmetrical distribution of the air gap should be considered in the future air gap modeling. Originality/value The outcomes provided useful information to improve the protective clothing and develop more realistic air gap models to simulate the heat and mass transfer.

2017 ◽  
Vol 164 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Tilsley ◽  
D J Carr ◽  
C Lankester ◽  
C Malbon

IntroductionBody armour typically comprises a fabric garment covering the torso combined with hard armour (ceramic/composite). Some users wear only soft armour which provides protection from sharp weapons and pistol ammunition. It is usually recommended that body armour is worn against the body with no air-gaps being present between the wearer and the armour. However, air-gaps can occur in certain situations such as females around the breasts, in badly fitting armour and where manufacturers have incorporated an air-gap claiming improvements in thermophysiological burden. The effect of an air-gap on the ballistic protection and the back face signature (BFS) as a result of a non-perforating ballistic impact was determined.MethodsArmour panels representative of typical police armour (400x400 mm) were mounted on calibrated Roma Plastilina No 1 and impacted with 9 mm Luger FMJ (9×19 mm; full metal jacket; Dynamit Nobel DM11A1B2) ammunition at 365±10 m/s with a range of air-gaps (0–15 mm). Whether or not the ammunition perforated the armour was noted, the BFS was measured and the incidence of pencilling (a severe, deep and narrow BFS) was identified.ResultsFor 0° impacts, a critical air-gap size of 10 mm is detrimental to armour performance for the armour/ammunition combination assessed in this work. Specifically, the incidences of pencilling were more common with a 10 mm air-gap and resulted in BFS depth:volume ratios ≥1.0. For impacts at 30° the armour was susceptible to perforation irrespective of air-gap.ConclusionsThis work suggested that an air-gap behind police body armour might result in an increased likelihood of injury. It is recommended that body armour is worn with no air-gap underneath.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kochu Therisa Karingada ◽  
Michael Sony

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caught many educational institutions by surprise and warranted an abrupt migration from offline to online learning. This has resulted in an education change, without any time for due consideration, as regards its impact on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on students. The purpose of this study is to investigate MSD related to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate students in India. In total, 261 students participated in this online survey.FindingsThe study finds that around 80% of students have reported some symptom in the head, neck and eyes since they started online learning. In total, 58% have reported MSD symptom in the right shoulder and 56% in the right hand fingers. Besides, more than 40 % of students experienced some MSD symptoms, in almost all the body parts studied, due to online learning. Correlation analysis is conducted between time spent on online learning per day and MSD symptoms.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted on MSD and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Su ◽  
Miao Tian ◽  
Yunyi Wang ◽  
Xianghui Zhang ◽  
Jun Li

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study heat and steam transfer in a vertical air gap and improve thermal protective performance of protective clothing under thermal radiation and hot steam.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment-based model was introduced to analyze heat and moisture transfer in the vertical air gap between the protective clothing and human body. A developed test apparatus was used to simulate different air gap sizes (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24 mm). The protective clothing with different air gap sizes was subjected to dry and wet heat exposures.FindingsThe increase of the air gap size reduced the heat and moisture transfer from the protective clothing to the skin surface under both heat exposures. The minimum air gap size for the initiation of natural convection in the dry heat exposure was between 6 and 9 mm, while the air gap size for the occurrence of natural convection was increased in the wet heat exposure. In addition, the steam mass flux presented a sharp decrease with the rising of the air gap size, followed by a stable state, mainly depending on the molecular diffusion and the convection mass transfer.Originality/valueThis research provides a better understanding of the optimum air gap under the protective clothing, which contributes to the design of optimum air gap size that provided higher thermal protection against dry and wet heat exposures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Nakane ◽  
Tatsuro Ito ◽  
Takayuki Nishizaka

ABSTRACT The mechanism underlying Spiroplasma swimming is an enigma. This small bacterium possesses two helical shapes with opposite-handedness at a time, and the boundary between them, called a kink, travels down, possibly accompanying the dual rotations of these physically connected helical structures, without any rotary motors such as flagella. Although the outline of dynamics and structural basis has been proposed, the underlying cause to explain the kink translation is missing. We here demonstrated that the cell morphology of Spiroplasma eriocheiris was fixed at the right-handed helix after motility was stopped by the addition of carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), and the preferential state was transformed to the other-handedness by the trigger of light irradiation. This process coupled with the generation and propagation of the artificial kink, presumably without any energy input through biological motors. These findings indicate that the coexistence of two chiral helices is sufficient to propagate the kink and thus to propel the cell body. IMPORTANCE Many swimming bacteria generate a propulsion force by rotating helical filaments like a propeller. However, the nonflagellated bacteria Spiroplasma spp. swim without the use of the appendages. The tiny wall-less bacteria possess two chiral helices at a time, and the boundary called a kink travels down, possibly accompanying the dual rotations of the helices. To solve this enigma, we developed an assay to determine the handedness of the body helices at the single-wind level, and demonstrated that the coexistence of body helices triggers the translation of the kink and that the cell body moves by the resultant cell bend propagation. This finding provides us a totally new aspect of bacterial motility, where the body functions as a transformable screw to propel itself forward.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reimara Valk

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the human capital (HC) expatriates require and develop during an international assignment (IA) to work effectively and live contentedly in a host country.Design/methodology/approachQualitative research entailing interviews with 78 expatriates and repatriates across the globe, investigating the competencies they developed and the HC they gained during their IAs.FindingsFive interrelated competence clusters were derived: cultural competence (CC); interpersonal competence; intrapersonal competence; global business competence; global leadership competence, each containing competencies crucial for expatriate success.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on self-reports by expatriates and repatriates. Future research should also include senior/line managers and chief human resource officers from a range of organizations across the world to gather their assessments on the competencies and HC of expatriates and repatriates.Practical implicationsLine/HR managers can use the designed “Expatriate/Repatriate Human Capital model” to assess an individual's overall readiness and capacity to perform effectively in a foreign country and culture and consecutively identify and select the right candidates to undertake IAs.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by presenting a HC model called the “Expatriate and Repatriate Human Capital Model; the body of competence”. The model identifies and defines the competencies/knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for intercultural effectiveness and expatriate success and serves as a tool for the selection, training, development and performance evaluation of expatriates and repatriates, in order to aid the accomplishment of individual and organizational objectives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1789-1795
Author(s):  
Mattia Mele ◽  
Giampaolo Campana ◽  
Gregorio Pisaneschi ◽  
Gian Luca Monti

Purpose Multi jet fusion is an industrial additive manufacturing technology characterised by high building speed and considerable properties of the parts. The cooling phase represents a crucial step to determine productivity, since it can take up to 4.5 times the building time. The purpose of this paper is to investigate into effects of cooling rate on parts manufactured by multi jet fusion. Crystallinity, density, distortions and mechanical properties of specimens produced through an HP multi jet fusion 4200 are examined. Design/methodology/approach An experimental activity is carried out on specimens cooled down at three different rates. Properties of the parts are analysed by means of differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, three-dimensional scanning and tensile testing. Originality/value The present work makes a contribution to the body of knowledge providing correlations between the cooling phase of multi jet fusion and part properties. These results can be used to choose the right balance between production time and product quality.


Sensor Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Chen ◽  
Zhelong Wang

Purpose Existing studies on human activity recognition using inertial sensors mainly discuss single activities. However, human activities are rather concurrent. A person could be walking while brushing their teeth or lying while making a call. The purpose of this paper is to explore an effective way to recognize concurrent activities. Design/methodology/approach Concurrent activities usually involve behaviors from different parts of the body, which are mainly dominated by the lower limbs and upper body. For this reason, a hierarchical method based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed to classify them. At the lower level, the state of the lower limbs to which a concurrent activity belongs is firstly recognized by means of one ANN using simple features. Then, the upper-level systems further distinguish between the upper limb movements and infer specific concurrent activity using features processed by the principle component analysis. Findings An experiment is conducted to collect realistic data from five sensor nodes placed on subjects’ wrist, arm, thigh, ankle and chest. Experimental results indicate that the proposed hierarchical method can distinguish between 14 concurrent activities with a high classification rate of 92.6 per cent, which significantly outperforms the single-level recognition method. Practical implications In the future, the research may play an important role in many ways such as daily behavior monitoring, smart assisted living, postoperative rehabilitation and eldercare support. Originality/value To provide more accurate information on people’s behaviors, human concurrent activities are discussed and effectively recognized by using a hierarchical method.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Heru Wibowo

In carrying out the activities at the library needed a comfort, safety and job security in order to create a condition that is in line with expectations and make history in enjoying what will be done. To create an environment and atmosphare is influenced by temperature, humidity, air circulation, lighting, mechanical vibration, color, ordor, and a number of tools used to support the activities of the library includes tables, ahairs, shelves, cabinets, atc. Furniture or equipment use in the library must also be designed so that a safe and compfortable when used. This study aims to determine the grievances suffered by employees (librarian. This study is a quantitative research approach to ergonomics so that the methods used include: (1) observation by direct observation, (2) interview were conducted using a questionnaire sheet Nordi Body Map and (3) documentation. The results obtained from this study: (1) in the upper body 70% complained of pain in the shoulders and neck, 50 % left shoulder , right shoulder 55 % , and 45 % on the left arm. (2) the body of the middle 60 % complained of back pain , 50 % in the upper right arm , 60 % pain in the waist , 20 % on the buttocks , 15 % on the buttocks , the left elbow 25 % , 20 % right elbow , 30 % below the left arm , forearm 25 % right, 35 % left wrist , right wrist 45 % , 30 % and 40 % left hand right hand. (3) in the lower body as much as 20 % complained of pain in the left thigh , right thigh 20 % , 30 % left knee , right knee 25 % , 35 % left calf , calf 35 % right, 20 % left ankle , 30 % on the right ankle , 20 % of the left leg and 25 % pain in the right foot . It can be concluded that most of the employees (librarians) complained of pain in the right side of the body member .


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Spahn ◽  
Céline Wasmer ◽  
Franziska Eickhoff ◽  
Manfred Nusseck

OBJECTIVES: For violinists, it is common practice to play while standing or sitting. When playing in an orchestra, generally two persons share one music stand, with one sitting to the right and the other to the left of the stand. The present study investigated specific movement patterns while playing in these different positions. METHODS: Using a posturographic device and 3D motion capture, the body weight distributions and specific body movements of 19 violinists were analyzed. RESULTS: Results showed unbalanced weight distributions while sitting in front of or oriented to the right of the music stand compared to the almost even distributions while standing or oriented to the left of the stand. Analyses of movement patterns showed significant differences between standing and sitting, mainly in the upper body parts with less movability while sitting. While sitting in front of or oriented to the right of the music stand, the right bowing arm showed more restricted movements compared to other positions. CONCLUSION: The playing positions are discussed with regard to possible physiological stress and health risks. The study emphasizes the importance of different playing positions and offers starting points for discussion of postural influences and sensible handling of the instrument in performance and practice for violinists.


2022 ◽  
pp. 170-180
Author(s):  
Esra Dogru Huzmeli ◽  
Ozden Gokcek

The trunk is the part of the human body that provides basic mechanical stabilization. It provides strength transmission between the upper and lower body regions. Body control is the ability of the body muscles to maintain the upright posture, to adapt to weight transfers, and to maintain selective trunk and limb movements by maintaining the support surface in static and dynamic postural adjustments. Good proximal trunk control provides better distal limb movements, balance, and functional motion. There are many evaluation methods, devices, and scales for trunk function and performance. 3D kinematic, electromyography, hand-held dynamometer, isokinetic dynamometer, trunk accelerometer are some devices that measure trunk function. The motor assessment scale-trunk subscale, the stroke impairment assessment set- trunk control subscale, trunk control test, trunk impairment scale are the most used scales. This chapter explores the effect of strokes on the trunk.


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